Parliamentary Committees

Introduction to Parliamentary Committees

• Broadly, parliamentary committees are of two kinds: Standing Committees and Ad Hoc Committees.
• Standing Committees are permanent (constituted every year or periodically) and work on a continuous basis.
• Ad Hoc Committees are temporary and cease to exist on completion of the task assigned to them.

Classification of Standing Committees

On the basis of the nature of functions performed by them, standing committees can be classified into the following six categories:

I. Financial Committees

1. Public Accounts Committee (PAC)
   • Setup in 1921 under the provisions of the Government of India Act of 1919.
   • Consists of 22 members (15 from the Lok Sabha and 7 from the Rajya Sabha).
   • Members are elected by the Parliament every year from amongst its members according to the principle of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.
   • Term of office: one year.
   • A minister cannot be elected as a member of the committee.
   • The chairman is appointed by the Speaker from amongst its members. Historically, the chairman is usually from the opposition party to ensure accountability of the executive.
   • Function: To examine the annual audit reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).
   • CAG submits three audit reports to the President: audit report on appropriation accounts, audit report on finance accounts, and audit report on public undertakings.
   • The committee examines public expenditure not only from a legal and formal point of view but also from the point of view of economy, prudence, wisdom, and propriety.
   • Its recommendations are advisory and not binding on the ministries.
2. Estimates Committee
   • Origin traced to the standing financial committee setup in 1921.
   • Consists of 30 members.
   • All thirty members are from Lok Sabha only.
   • The chairman is appointed by the Speaker from amongst its members and he is invariably from the ruling party.
   • Term of office: one year.
   • It examines every year only certain selected ministries and departments. Thus, by rotation, it would cover all of them over a number of years.
   • Its recommendations are advisory and not binding on the ministries.
   • Its work is in the nature of a post-mortem (examines estimates after they are sanctioned).
   • Often called 'continuous economy committee'.
3. Committee on Public Undertakings
   • Created in 1964 on the recommendation of the Krishna Menon Committee.
   • It has 22 members (15 from the Lok Sabha and 7 from the Rajya Sabha).
   • Its members are elected according to the principle of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote.
   • Term of office of the members is one year.
   • The chairman is appointed by the Speaker from amongst its members who are drawn from the Lok Sabha only.
   • They examine the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General on public undertakings.
   • The committee is not to examine and investigate any of the following:
     • Matters of major government policy as distinct from business or commercial functions of the public undertakings.
     • Matters of day-to-day administration.
     • Matters for the consideration of which machinery is established by any special statute.

II. Departmental Standing Committees (24)

• On the recommendation of the Rules Committee of the Lok Sabha, Departmentally-Related Standing Committees (DRSCs) were set up in the Parliament in 1993.
• The main objective is to secure more accountability of the Executive to the Parliament, particularly financial accountability.
• The 24 standing committees cover under their jurisdiction all the ministries / departments of the Central Government.
• Each standing committee consists of 31 members (21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha).
• Out of the 24 standing committees, 8 work under the Rajya Sabha and 16 under the Lok Sabha.
• They consider the demands for grants of the concerned ministries / departments before they are discussed and voted in the Lok Sabha.
• Their report should not suggest anything of the nature of cut motions.
• They should not consider the matters of day-to-day administration of the concerned ministries / departments.

III. Committees to Inquire

• Committee on Petitions
• Committee of Privileges
• Ethics Committee

IV. Committees to Scrutinize and Control

• Committee on Government Assurances
• Committee on Subordinate Legislation
• Committee on Papers Laid on the Table
• Committee on Welfare of SCs and STs
• Committee on Empowerment of Women
• Joint Committee on Offices of Profit

V. Committees Relating to the Day-to-Day Business of the House

• Business Advisory Committee
• Committee on Private Members' Bills and Resolutions
• Rules Committee
• Committee on Absence of Members from Sittings of the House

VI. House-Keeping Committees or Service Committees

(i.e., Committees concerned with the Provision of Facilities and Services to Members).

• General Purposes Committee
• House Committee
• Library Committee
• Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members

Consultative Committees

• Consultative committees are attached to various ministries / departments of the Central Government.
• They consist of members of both the houses of Parliament.
• The Minister / Minister of State in charge of the Ministry concerned acts as the chairman of the consultative committee of that ministry.
• These committees are constituted by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
• These committees provide a forum for informal discussions between the ministers and the members of Parliament on policies and programmes.
• The maximum membership of a committee is 30 and the minimum is 10.
• These committees shall stand dissolved upon dissolution of every Lok Sabha and shall be reconstituted upon constitution of each Lok Sabha.
• In addition, separate Informal Consultative Committees of the members of Parliament are also constituted for all the Railway Zones.
• Unlike the Consultative Committees attached to various ministries / departments, the meetings of the Informal Consultative Committees are to be arranged during the session periods only.

Additional Points from Research:

• Ad Hoc Committees: These are temporary committees constituted for specific purposes. Once their task is completed, they cease to exist. Examples include Select or Joint Committees on Bills, Inquiry Committees, etc.
• Difference between Standing and Ad Hoc: The key difference lies in their tenure. Standing committees are permanent, while Ad Hoc committees are temporary.
• Role of Parliamentary Committees:
  • Scrutiny of Legislation: Many bills are referred to select committees or standing committees for detailed examination before they are passed by Parliament. This allows for in-depth analysis and expert input.
  • Executive Accountability: Committees like the PAC, Estimates Committee, and DRSCs play a crucial role in holding the executive accountable for its actions, policies, and expenditures.
  • Financial Control: The financial committees ensure that public money is spent judiciously and according to parliamentary authorization.
  • Detailed Deliberation: Committees allow for more detailed and non-partisan discussion on complex issues, which might not be possible in the full house due to time constraints and political considerations.
  • Public Feedback: Some committees invite public feedback, which helps in making policies more inclusive and effective.
  • Expert Advice: Committees can summon experts, officials, and stakeholders to gather information and insights relevant to their work.
• Importance of DRSCs: They have significantly improved parliamentary scrutiny of the executive by examining budget demands, bills, and policies of various ministries in detail throughout the year, even when Parliament is not in session.